Chapter 2 Two

• Lilly was too shocked to react to the sudden kiss.
• But as the kiss deepened, Lilly found herself lost in it completely.
• The warmth spread through her, making her realize how much she had missed this feeling.
• By now, every pair of eyes in the hall was locked on them.
• Students were stunned.
• The quiet, low-profile Lilly, the girl everyone called the “Ghost lady,” had just boldly kissed Dave Charles.
• Dave was the guy every girl on campus wanted, even though he had only ever been with Sofia, the lead cheerleader and most popular girl on campus.
• When they parted for air, Lilly blinked, her face burning with embarrassment.
• She couldn’t believe how carried away she had gotten.
• From the other side, Eric was practically boiling with jealousy.
• At first, he thought she was just trying to hurt him, but that second kiss looked entirely genuine.
• Sofia Mitla stood in the middle of the crowd, her eyes blazing with fury.
• Her tight red dress hugged her curves, and her long hair bounced as she marched toward Lilly like a storm.
• Everyone knew Dave and Sofia were together, including Lilly.
• But in her rush to get back at Eric, Lilly hadn’t considered the havoc she would leave behind.
• She swallowed hard as Sofia approached.
• Seeing her boyfriend kiss another girl in public was bad enough, but seeing him kiss the campus “ghost lady” made it a hundred times worse.
• Lilly’s chest tightened as Sofia stopped inches away from her.
• “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sofia snapped, her voice trembling with rage.
• Whispers immediately filled the crowd.
• “Isn’t that Dave’s girlfriend?”
• “She’s in huge trouble.”
• “Did Lilly really just kiss Dave?”
• Dave narrowed his eyes, though a faint smirk touched his lips.
• His reputation as a playboy was well known, but no girl had ever dared to approach him so publicly because everyone feared Sofia.
• She isn’t even a wolf, just a regular human.
• Sofia thought, biting her lips angrily.
• Prestige University was shared by both humans and werewolves, though most human students had no idea the supernatural existed right beside them.
• “Sofia...” Dave started, stepping in to calm her down.
• Before he could finish, Sofia swung her hand and slapped Lilly hard across the face.
• Slap!
• The sharp sound echoed through the quiet hall.
• Lilly stumbled back from the force, clutching her burning cheek.
• She kept her gaze fixed on the floor, too humiliated and shocked to react.
• Eric’s blood boiled as he saw her get hit.
• He instinctively wanted to rush in, but he knew Lilly would reject his help, so he forced himself to stand still.
• “You shameless thing!” Sofia spat, glaring at Lilly with total disgust.
• “You think just because you dressed up tonight, you can steal my boyfriend?!”
• Lilly opened her mouth, but no words came out.
• She hadn’t been thinking straight; she only wanted to hurt Eric, not bring a public disgrace on herself.
• “I... I ...” she stammered.
• “You what?” Sofia sneered.
• “You kissed him right in front of everyone!”
• The crowd murmured louder.
• Seeing Lilly cornered and humiliated, Dave’s relaxed expression hardened into something cold.
• To him, it had started as harmless fun, but Sofia had crossed the line.
• “That’s enough, Sofia,” Dave said, his voice dropping into a firm, commanding tone.
• The crowd froze.
• Shock flashed across Sofia’s face.
• “What?”
• Dave stepped directly between them, shielding Lilly behind his shoulder.
• “I said that’s enough!”
• A collective gasp echoed through the room. Even Lilly looked up, stunned to see Dave standing up to her.
• Sofia stared at him in utter disbelief.
• “You’re defending her?” Her voice cracked.
• Dave’s jaw tightened.
• “Yes, I am.”
• Sofia let out a bitter, angry laugh.
• “Dave, she kissed you!”
• “And I kissed her back,” Dave replied calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
• Another round of gasps broke out.
• Lilly stared at his back, unable to process why he was protecting her.
• Behind, Eric was practically vibrating with rage, but he couldn’t step in without making things worse for Lilly.
• “You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone,” Sofia whispered, hurt showing through her angry face.
• “You need to calm down,” Dave said.
• “You kissed another girl right in front of the whole school, and you want me to calm down?!”
• Dave stayed silent, and his silence hurt deeper than his words.
• Furious, Sofia turned her glaring eyes back toward Lilly.
• “Sofia, I’m warning you,” Dave warned, his tone sharp.
• Without waiting for another scene, he reached back, took Lilly’s hand, and pulled her out of the hall into the night air.
• The hall erupted into chaotic noise after they left.
• “Did Dave really just walk out with Lilly over Sofia?!”
• “I can’t believe that.”
• “Wow! Is Dave trying to be with the ghost lady now?”
• “Lilly must be capable. She is standing up against Sofia.”
• Sofia stood rooted to the floor, the public humiliation washing over her as every eye in the room stared at her.
• Sofia looked furious, as if she were ready to tear someone apart.
• For a split second, her eyes flashed with the distinct golden hue of her werewolf form.
• In the chaos of the hall, none of the human students noticed the split-second shift.
• Except for one person.
• Eric was staring right at her. His gaze locked onto hers, cold and sharp.
• She’s not human, Eric realized.
• While discovering another werewolf, Eric’s rage was focused entirely on the humiliation Lilly had just suffered.
• His blood boiled, and the oppressive aura of an Alpha began to radiate from him, suffocating the air around them.
• Sofia froze as the terrifying wave of energy washed over her.
• Her heart thumped against her chest as she recognized the power radiating off him.
• She knew immediately: he wasn’t just an ordinary wolf but an Alpha.
• And his eyes were fixed on her with dangerous intent.